Stuff I Gotta Do

16042010

I’ve been asked, along with a bunch of other folks, to contribute to an editorial piece for Civil War Times magazine. The topic – the Governor of Virginia’s Confederate History Month proclamation, his apology for the wording of same, and the sometimes thoughtful, sometimes bizarre reactions they prompted – is a hot one just now. I decided not to discuss it here, because as a commenter on Robert Moore’s blog correctly points out the controversy is a lot more about the present than it is about the past. And I think no one can deny that modern politics, which are taboo here, play a big part in the discussion. The other contributors are mostly big shots and mostly real historians (and doubtless scratching their heads wondering who the Harry guy in the e-mail cc list is), so I don’t anticipate my contribution will stand out in any positive way, and may even wind up on the cutting room floor. I’ll give it a shot, but every time I think about it I go off in different directions.

Kevin, you and Robert led the way in commentary on this topic, and I think your comments anticipated to be more than filler. I’m torn on the whole thing, and every time I try to organize my thoughts I get pulled in a different direction. Whatever one thinks of the thought process behind the issuance of the proclamation and the apology, we can agree that we are in the Governor’s debt for having made them if only because of the exposure they’ve given to what has heretofore been a relatively obscure debate.

Looking forward to what you have to say about the issue. I consider commenting on the issue to be like going through a huge minefield with no mine detector. I like the comment, that the controversy “is a lot more about the present than it is about the past”. That captures my thoughts quite well. But I guess that is what you can expect when it comes to the American Civil War and American memory.

Dulce bellum inexpertis

“I am sending you these little incidents as I hear them well authenticated. They form, to the friends of the parties, part of the history of the glorious 21st. More anon.”

About

Hello! I’m Harry Smeltzer and welcome to Bull Runnings, where you'll find my digital history project on the First Battle of Bull Run which is organized under the Bull Run Resources section. I'll also post my thoughts on the processes behind the project and commentary on the campaign, but pretty much all things Civil War are fair game. You'll only find musings on my “real job” or my personal life when they relate to this project. My mother always told me "never discuss politics or religion in mixed company”, and that's sound advice where current events are concerned.

The Project

This site is more than a blog. Bull Runnings also hosts digitized material pertaining to First Bull Run. In the Bull Run Resources link in the masthead and also listed below are links to Orders of Battle, After Action Reports, Official Correspondence, Biographical Sketches, Diaries, Letters, Memoirs, Newspaper Accounts and much, much more. Take some time to surf through the material. This is a work in process with no end in sight, so check back often!